Hotel Gaviota El Castillo is located in the city of Baracoa - the first village founded in Cuba by the Spanish conquistadors - and is housed in the fortress of Seboruco de Santa Barbara, which was built by the Spaniards in colonial times. It is just a few km away from the city's national airport which handles the operations of small and middle size airplanes. The road access to the hotel is by itself an attraction for visitors, since it has to be done by La Farola, an ascending spiral road built during the first half of the 1960’s, with 11 hanging bridges whose maximum height is located at a place known as Altos de Cotilla (Cotilla Heights), 600 hundred meters above the sea level.

El Castillo has 34 rooms and offers very good service and the best food in Baracoa. Facilities include a nice bar from where you can enjoy the best view of the bay, Miel River and Anvil of Baracoa, symbol of the city, restaurant, a little shop and a picture-perfect swimming pool.

Here you can book tours to visit the historic heart of the city, which has been declared a national monument; the fortresses of Matachin and La Punta; the fortified towers of Joa; fast-flowing Toa River; cemetery and many more.

Hotel El Castillo is the top hotel in Baracoa to stay; excellent place to relax and enjoy nature tourism.

Standard rooms are simple and don't quite measure up to the privileged location and general ambience, though they're pretty good size, have colonial-style furnishings, and are set around the pool. If you can get room no. 201 do so, it's a large corner room with a queen-size bed -- one of only two rooms with a double bed. The rest of the rooms all have either two or three single beds. All rooms have air-conditioner, private bathroom, fridge, Satellite TV, telephone and safe.

Baracoa City is situated on a bay close to the eastern tip of the island of Cuba where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Founded in 1512 by Diego Velazquez, Baracoa is Cuba's oldest European settlement. Things are pretty laid back in this town and the abundance of palm trees along this coast give it a South Pacific feel.

The fact that this was an important Spanish outpost is evidenced by the three impressive forts: Fuerte Matachin, now housing the museo municipal; Fuerte de la Punta, now refitted with a restaurant; and El Castillo de Seboruco, which is now a pleasant hotel.

On calle Antonio Maceo, you'll find people queuing for hot chocolate drinks in the baking tropical sun at the Casa del Chocolate, opposite is a lovely Casa de la Trova, holding rooftop performances and you can't forget to visit Plaza Independencia (it is the focal point for community life in the city), Yunque de Baracoa and The Stone Zoo, which comprises a multitude of stone animals.